Noble Intl Announces New Developments At Utilase, Inc.
2 September 1998
Noble International Announces New Developments At Utilase, Inc.
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI--Sept. 1, 1998---- Utilase, Inc. Changes Name to Noble Metal Processing, Inc. --
-- Noble Metal Processing, Inc. Receives QS-9000 Registration --
Noble International, Ltd. (AMEX: NIL), a leading Tier II automotive supplier, announced several developments at its laser welding operation Utilase, Inc.
Utilase, Inc. has changed its name to Noble Metal Processing, Inc. (NMP). NMP is a leader in laser welded blanks, a process which uses a laser to butt weld flat sheet metal blanks of varying thickness', alloys and coatings to create tailor-made blanks. NMP's core blank welding system controls weld quality and provides NMP the shortest time to market with its products. In addition, NMP provides its customers cut-to-length and developed blank processing.
In announcing the name change, Lloyd P. Jones, III, President of Noble International said, "This name change is a reflection of Noble's increased name recognition within the automotive industry and represents the variety of services Noble offers in this sector."
In another development, NMP has been awarded QS-9000 registration by Omnex-AQSR, Automotive Quality Systems Registrar, Inc., based out of Ann Arbor, MI. Registration requires participating suppliers to establish, document and implement quality systems based on the standards set forth by Quality System Requirements QS-9000.
John Baysore, President of NMP, commenting on this achievement, stated, "We are pleased that our commitment to quality has been verified by QS-9000 registration and we will continue to strive for excellence."
Earlier this year, NMP announced the expansion of its facilities raising its total manufacturing space to 320,000 square feet. With the enlarged space, including facilities in both Detroit and Canada, as well as new automated lines, NMP expects to produce 5.8 million laser welded blanks in 1998, an increase of 76% over the 3.3 million produced in 1997.
Noble International, Ltd. is a leading Tier II full-service supplier of automotive parts, component assemblies and value-added services to the automotive industry. As a Tier II supplier, Noble provides design, engineering, manufacturing, complete program management and other services to the automotive market. Noble delivers integrated component solutions, technological leadership and product innovation to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier I automotive parts suppliers thereby helping its customers increase their productivity while controlling costs.
Certain statements in this news release may be "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933. Statements regarding future prospects and developments are based upon current expectations and involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from the forward-looking statements.